U.S. Obesity Rate Shows Signs of Leveling Off

CDC study finds very young children seem to be slimming down, but more older women are obese

By Mary Brophy Marcus

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Feb. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity still looms large in the United States but the scale's relentless climb may have leveled off, according to the latest results of a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

One-third of adults and 17 percent of children and teens are obese, said CDC researchers who focused on more than 9,000 adults and children in 2011-2012 and compared them to five previous obesity analyses dating back to 2003-04.

"We found overall that there was no change in youth or adults," said study author and epidemiologist Cynthia Ogden.

But within specific age groups, weight shifts were apparent. More older women are obese, but very young children seem to be slimming down.

One specialist in childhood obesity was pleased with the overall findings.

"I tend to be an optimist. The fact that we are seeing a leveling off is actually a good thing," said Dr. Sara Lappe, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children's who specializes in childhood obesity.

Obesity in adults is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. BMI is a calculation of body fat based on height and weight. A 5-foot 9-inch adult who weighs 203 pounds has a BMI of 30 and is considered obese, for example.

Obesity in kids is defined as a child who has a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex.

Ogden said the results for preschool-age children are a bright spot in the findings.

"We found among preschoolers, 2- to 5-year-olds, there was a significant decrease in obesity," Ogden said. Prevalence of obesity in children that age dipped from 14 percent in 2003-2004 to about 8 percent in 2011-2012, she noted.

Cleveland Clinic's Lappe said: "I think this piece of the study is actually good. There are a lot of early intervention programs in Head Start and preschools, and education directly to parents that may be starting to pay off."